Time to Pause

Posted on 24/08/201224/08/2012 by Alastair

Time to Pause – This is largely what StillWalks is about – taking the time necessary to keep calm and not get too stressed. Whether it be relaxing at the end of the day or taking 5 minutes out in the middle of the working day, StillWalks can be both enjoyable and a useful alternative to actually getting out there for a real walk.

The queue of things to do – There never seems to be enough time to do all that I want or is necessary. So, considering what I have just said about StillWalks, I have decided to make a priority completing the four or five StillWalks that are half way through the post production stage by the end of September. The production days for these walks date back to the middle of March and completing them should be a priority because this is work I enjoy doing and, like taking a real walk or watching a StillWalk, has it’s therapeutic value.

Current explorations – In the meantime I have been enjoying finding a new place to produce a StillWalk – Singleton Park in Swansea and its botanic garden. I joined Martin Humphreys and others last Wednesday for a Bees and Butterflies walk through the botanic garden – it was very enjoyable and relaxing. The walk will take place again next Wednesday at 10 AM – anyone interested should meet at the botanic garden entrance in the park. Enjoy the photos from my phone below.

Singleton Park, Swansea

Singleton Park Botanic Garden

Singleton Park Botanic Garden – Twisted tree

Tree Festival and Evening Sounds

Posted on 17/08/201217/08/2012 by Alastair

This photo reminds me that StillWalks is going to be at the Tree Festival in the Botanic Garden of Wales this weekend, but actually . . .

The park at Richelieu

. . . it’s from a small selection of images about ceilings (!) I arranged from a recent trip to France. Here a couple more of the natural ones and a sound clip to prove my mother wrong about there being no sounds at night !?!

French Evening Sky

Evening Sky over Faye la Vineuse

And here are the real (if not natural) ceilings from the Chateau d’Oiron, an amazing place full of contemporary art and crazy ceilings. These pics were taken on my iPhone.

Chateau d”Oiron

Ghost Forest

Posted on 11/08/201211/08/2012 by Alastair

StillWalks will be present at the NBGW (National Botanic Garden of Wales) next weekend, 18 – 19 August, for the tree festival which features the Ghost Forest. We will be focusing our collection of StillWalks on woodland walks such as the Garden of Wales Woodland Walk and Arboretum Walk at Gelli Aur as well as many others from the collection.

. . . and here’s some from inside the Great Glasshouse.

Eerie Creatures on the Marshes

Posted on 28/07/201228/07/2012 by Alastair

Sunshine and rain– We’ve been away to foreign parts recently – well, France! More importantly, we managed to avoid much of the torrential rain in Britain during that period. Unbelievably, we arrived home to Britain and Wales to dry, sunny, hot weather – amazing 🙂 Here’s a lovely sunset from the other night to prove it.

Sunset Over the Marshes

Eerie Sounds – There were some strange sounds coming from the marshes and so I went to investigate . . .

All will be revealed – no cudding 😉

Yoiks!

Maybe I was the monster

Beautiful Brecon Beacons

Posted on 07/07/201207/07/2012 by Alastair

Yr Allt, Fan Nedd and Fan Gyhirych are all on a walk I have done in the Brecon Beacons frequently in the past. That past is a long time ago now though and so when I took a day up there recently with my friend Mark, it seemed even better than my memory allowed.

Walking for pleasure was the main reasoning behind the trip but photos and sounds clips taken on the day can be considered a recce for a StillWalks production day later in the Summer.

Skylark – I actually managed to get a half decent photo of one of the many Skylarks up there and some of the sights and sounds from the day can be listened to and seen below. To view more of the photos, visit Flickr. If you can’t see the sound clips, click here to go to the blog.

Shadows on Yr Allt

Pen y Fan in the distance

On the side of Fan Nedd

Old Fencing

Bog Cotton

Maen Llia standing stone

Peacocks in Cwm Dulais

Posted on 30/06/201230/06/2012 by Alastair

Birdsong ID – Following my walk to the top of Graig Fawr last week I met up with Martin Humphries (ex RSPB), Ed Tucker (Bio Diversity Ranger) and others for another birdsong ID walk. This time the walk was down the Cwm Dulais valley next door to Cefn Drum in South Wales. There were an amazing number of birds up there but I don’t think I am getting much better with my identification skills.

Peacocks among the chickens – One bird I can identify from its call is the Peacock and we were surprised to come across these as we passed by Chuckle Chicken Poultry. We didn’t see them, so no photo I’m afraid, but the sound is proof enough.

If you are viewing this in an email, click here to listen on the blog or here to go to SoundCloud.

Dulais River, Cefn Drum

Anya

Birdsong ID in action

Dulais River and Foxgloves

Old post coming to life!

View from the Top

Posted on 23/06/201223/06/2012 by Alastair

Last Sunday was a beautiful day here in South Wales which encouraged me to take a walk up Graig Fawr. The views over the surrounding countryside are uplifting . . . when the sun is out. Looking west you can see over to Carmarthenshire and looking south the view takes in the Loughor Estuary and the Gower Peninsula.

The wind was blowing and the Skylarks were singing and I needed to get to the top. Here are a few of the photos I took and also a sound clip of those Larks in the wind.

View from the Top

View from the Top 1Loughor Estuary and the Gower

Foxgloves and the Gower

You can hear those Skylarks in the wind here or you can play the clip below if you are already on the blog.

Early Start for Dawn Chorus Day

Posted on 11/05/201211/05/2012 by Alastair

It was fun to get up at 5.30 AM last Sunday for Dawn Chorus Day to go and join the Friends of Coedbach Park and Helen Grey from Swansea Nature Conservation Team. Helen organised the event and arranged for Martin Humphries to lead us on a walk and help with birdsong identification. A great time was had by all and I was able to record much of what was going on with the birds in the ancient oak woods.

Sound Clips and Spectral Images – A set of these sound clips can be found below (remember to click through to the blog if you are reading this in an email) along with a couple of the spectral displays from the clips.